Decades of science fiction television and film have promised the advent of video telephones, and it seems that those visions are finally coming to pass. In a move that will bring it into the 21st century, a Georgia police department is embracing video conferencing technology.

Sandy Springs, Georgia, is attempting to install a web conferencing suite in its police headquarters, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution. The installation is meant to increase the communications capabilities of the Sandy Springs Police Department. With teleconferencing technology in place, officers and detectives will be able to contact hospitals, government agencies and even other police departments in a manner that replicates the experience of speaking to another person face-to-face.

The system could potentially be paid for in part by a national grant established to help law enforcement agencies perform more effectively. The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant could provide over $22,000 so that high definition cameras, monitors, microphones and speakers could be installed at Sandy Springs police headquarters.

This would allow us to communicate with the people we need to talk to more efficiently," police chief Terry Sult told the news source, adding, "It would be better than a phone call because if there were something we needed to communicate visually, we could do that."